Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum celebrates 10th anniversary with exhibition, book

SINGAPORE – A deep-sea expedition to the Indian Ocean and a year-end collaboration with the Science Centre for a special exhibition on extinctions are on the cards for Singapore’s only natural history museum, as it marks its 10th anniversary.

The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM), established in 2015, houses artefacts such as animal, plant, mineral and fossil specimens collected over two centuries. It also serves as a hub for research on South-east Asia’s biodiversity, education and public outreach. 

Associate Professor Darren Yeo, who heads the museum, said at its 10th anniversary event on May 6: “The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum is rich in both legacy and youthful vibrancy. Our biodiversity collection traces back to the 1800s... and continues to grow.”

With more than one million specimens in its collection – around double of what it began with a decade ago – Prof Yeo hopes to expand the museum space with a new floor.

A new book and a special exhibition to mark LKCNHM’s anniversary were launched at the event by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was accompanied by his spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi.

The book, titled Archipelago Of Islands: Natural And Other Histories Of Singapore, was co-authored by a team of researchers from the museum, and also commemorates 60 years of Singapore’s independence.

The exhibition, A Decade Of Discovery: Stories From The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, will be open to the public from May 7, 2025, to May 3, 2026.

The exhibition features three general sections on the museum’s history, past and present projects it has undertaken, and what the future holds for it.

Visitors will get to browse dry and wet specimens of fauna collected from the museum’s past expeditions to Christmas Island; Sarawak, Malaysia; and Java, Indonesia, alongside digital and physical repositories of local and regional biodiversity data.

“Some of these artefacts aren’t just scientific discoveries. The ones collected from the Christmas Island expedition, for instance, also carry historical significance due to Singapore’s relationship to the island, and more importantly, our relationship with Australia,” said senior curator of crustacea and other marine anthropoda Jose Mendoza.

Also on display is a selection of the museum’s 409 species of ants native to Singapore; four novel species of snakehead, a predatory freshwater fish from Myanmar, which were discovered through the aquarium trade and field collections; and a firefly that inspired a local composition performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for Singapore’s 56th birthday in 2021.

Younger visitors can enjoy a digital game panel simulating an expedition, where they will be able to sort oceanic fauna into categories and learn more about them.

Some corals and shells from a vast collection donated by Dr Chuang Shou-Hwa, who headed the zoology department of the then University of Singapore from 1971 to 1977, are also showcased around the room.

“We hope that through this exhibition, people will see that Singapore has natural history and rich biodiversity that is worth protecting,” said lead curator Esther Parn.

“In fact, we just welcomed a new curator to study aquatic sponges – a small handful of which are on display in this exhibition. It hasn’t been widely studied, so we’re hoping to be able to share our findings with the public soon,” she added.

Prof Yeo, the museum head, said: “The exhibition and book also represent the collaborative efforts of local and regional agencies, museums, universities and more, who have been a part of our journey... It is really something to be proud of, as Singapore’s only natural history museum, and being able to drive awareness of biodiversity conservation.”

Research, with the knowledge and understanding it brings, is the natural extension to the museum’s scientific collection, noted Prof Yeo, who specialises in freshwater biodiversity and ecology, aquatic invasions and freshwater decapod crustaceans.

His team progressed to the second phase of its Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey in 2024. A five-year survey in partnership with the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute and National Parks Boards, it is Singapore’s second large-scale initiative to assess and document the diversity of marine life in the waters of the Republic.

As for the expedition in the Indian Ocean, a 20-man team from LKCNHM is set to “explore seamounts, underwater mountains that rise from the seafloor and hold interesting biodiversity”, in international waters there towards the end of the year, Prof Yeo said.

The museum will also provide inclusive programmes and free admission to underserved groups, thanks to the recent establishment of its Gift of Biodiversity Heritage endowment fund. It will match donations of up to $500,000 under this programme, to benefit charity groups and civic organisations that serve people with special needs and migrant workers.

Correction note: An earlier version of this story said that the museum will collaborate with Science Centre Singapore on the region’s natural heritage, instead of extinctions and dinosaurs. This has been corrected. We are sorry for the error.